Rag Doll
by Skami
Summary: "I can say, that I to this day, do not understand Duncan Aidan McCoy."-Noah and Duncan have a rather, interesting relationship with each other, in secret of course. And this know-it-all has had just about enough of his bull crap.


**OKAY so I have to say that this is definitely the most lengthy thing I have written and I started this a while back, then stopped it, then started it back, then stopped again so overall it just took me A WHILE to get this done. **

**This is LONG long long so if you're not up for a lengthy one shot then mr you are in the wrong place. **

**But, if you're up for some long DunNo than go ahead, read on**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama**

**ENJOY**

* * *

I can say, that I to this day, do not understand Duncan Aidan McCoy. Yes, his middle name is Aidan, he told me that once when we were taking one of his "car rides".

It frustrates me. Why? Because I'm supposed to know everything. I know, modest right? But it's true. I understand a lot; I'm observant, I can predict things with such pure accuracy I have some of the dimwits of the school thinking I'm psychic or something.

But I'm not psychic. If I was psychic, I might be able to figure out just what's going on in that little delinquent's head. I've never been so in the dark in my life, and I hate it.

Why is it so hard for me to figure out, or better yet, why is it so hard for Duncan to just convey his feelings like a normal human being?

He plays hot and cold with me. It's a constant game of bipolar tug-o-war.

One day, he'll be sitting behind me in health, snickering to his idiotic friends about me and throwing pencils into the back of my neck. Then all of a sudden, the next day he'll yank me in the bathroom between periods and pin me against the counter. Every time, the same exact words leave his mouth.

"Don't look at me like that."

Well, maybe I wouldn't if you hadn't tripped me in the hall earlier that day my expression would be a little more pleasing.

At some point he started calling me "pretty boy" rather than "nerd". I knew then that things were different. Out of being observant, I noticed that Duncan doesn't give people nicknames unless he holds some kind of deeper feeling for them, after all he gave Courtney the nickname "princess", and I still can't tell exactly how she feels about that.

Oh, did I forget to mention that he has a girlfriend? Or I guess as of now, _had_ a girlfriend. From what I know that their relationship is sort of on the rocks right now. Something about her being too clingy and controlling.

Did it make a difference in my life whether they were together or not? No. Because, Duncan still would've made sure he'd have his way with me whether they broke up or not. He started this little fling with me way before he and Courtney were unstable. Honestly I don't know why I let it get past him trying to sweet talk me when I missed my bus after school one day.

Did you know that now he personally goes out of his way to make sure I miss my bus? Just so I end having to ask him for a ride, and he ends up with me against the back seat and his tongue in my mouth. He was fighting to dominate me because he knew he was losing his dominance over Courtney.

I should've stopped this when it started three months ago. Maybe then I wouldn't be where I am now, lying on my back in my boxers while he was right above me, probably only inches away. He was breathing into my neck, kissing me as his rough hands ran down my sides. I was breathing heavy; I didn't want to admit it but I was anxious. Nothing we had ever done had ever gone this far before.

Then, my breath hitched when his fingers went down to snap the elastic of my underwear, and I gulped. Why did I ever let it get this far? Why did I have to be lying in his sweat covered bed with the only barrier between us being our boxers?

I had to say something. This had to end.

I didn't want this anymore.

"Duncan get off me." I mumbled out, gripping onto the sheets below me.

He didn't stop. He instead went to grind his hips into mine, forcing an involuntary groan out of my mouth.

"I said get off, Duncan." I said a bit louder and firmer this time, praying he would hear me and I could stop quivering like an idiot.

Duncan chuckled. "Cute, loser." He said, going into hook his arm under my back and jerk me closer.

"I mean it."

"Yeah, you mean it. Now shut up. You're killing the mood."

No. I couldn't take this anymore. I wasn't about to let him win again.

"Get. Off. Of me!" I forcibly took my hands out to shove his torso back and tear his lips away from my neck. "I said I don't want this! Now get off of me before I scream."

Something in Duncan's face changed. It'd gone from mocking and lustful to just annoyed and confused. What was there to be confused about? I didn't want it.

"Are you fucking serious right now?"

Yes I was serious. Now he was upset that for once I said "no"?

"Is not being wanted to hard of a concept for you to understand?" I asked. Good, my snarky tone was returning. My nervousness must have been dying down.

He lowered his brow. "You seriously don't want this. After I dragged you to my house, after I made out with you on the fucking kitchen floor, and after we're already practically naked on my bed, you're telling me you don't want this?"

"Is there another way I need to say it?" I asked.

"This is ridiculous. This is freakin' ridiculous." His expression became angry. "Why the hell would you let me go that far if you didn't want it?!"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you could kill me if I said otherwise?" I shot back, now attempting to push him off from on top of me. "It wouldn't even matter if I wanted it or not because you always come first!"

"Would you pipe down?" Duncan used one of his free hands to shove me back down on the mattress and press himself down against me, jerking my jaw to face him as he stared me in the eye.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" I growled out at him, struggling underneath his grasp. "You're forcing yourself on me!"

"It's not forcing if I know you want it." He growled back. "Don't look at me like that. We both know that if you didn't want this shit, you would've said something months ago."

My eyes narrowed, mainly because he was somewhat right. I hated when that rarely happened, but I honestly couldn't say that I didn't _enjoy_ the makeout sessions we'd had in the stalls between classes.

Duncan smirked at me and leaned in to peck me on the mouth. "Good. Don't worry nerd, you're gonna like this."

"Have you ever even done this before?" I was still determined to not have this end the way he wanted it to.

He raised an eyebrow. "You really think I'm a virgin?"

My face sank. "I mean with a guy, genius."

His hand went up behind his mohawk. "No. I haven't. But there's a first time for everything so why does it matter?"

Why did it matter? Did he really ask me why it mattered? He was about to stick his dick in my ass and he really wanted to know why it mattered?

"Because you don't know what you're doing. You don't wanna admit it, but for once you're not the pro in this area." I really wanted to get out from underneath him.

"Well I'm not getting any coaching, if that's what you want." Duncan responded in a dull tone. "I mean I know I'm not a gold in the fag olympics like you, but I pretty much know how this shit works."

"For the last fucking time, don't call me a fag."

He snickered. "Why the fuck not? You always get all worked up like one."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Suddenly my sexuality influenced how emotional I was about something?

"I'm not even completely gay-"

"You weren't saying that when you blew me in janitor's closet."

"You made me!" He had. Duncan had forcefully shoved me into the janitors closet and pushed me down my knees. Now that I'm thinking back on it actually I really should have put up more of a fight. Even though there wasn't much of me that didn't want to do it, giving in to him so easily didn't do anything but build up his ammo for now.

"Like that makes a difference." He scoffed. "No straight guy would do that shit. Even if you held a gun to his head, a straight guy wouldn't suck another dude's dick if it killed him."

His lips drifted back down to my neck, biting and sucking on the small area around my collar bone. Had he actually taken the time out to remember that that particular spot sent chills down my spine whenever it was even grazed?

"Now, if you aren't gay." Duncan said into my ear. "Tell me you don't like this." He told me, dipping back to drag his tongue lightly down my neck. "Tell me this shit doesn't feel good."

"Nnnhg-" That groan accidentally slipped out.

"You don't like this?" He went back in to kiss me on the lips again, frenching me and pulling one of my free legs around his torso for closer contact as he ground into me again.

I hated this. I absolutely hated this with every fiber of my being. I hated not being able to control the sounds that were coming out of my mouth because of my stupid hormones. The last thing I wanted to give him was satisfaction, and here I was moaning into his touch.

"That means you're gay too." I finally pried his mouth off of mine. "You realize that, right?"

Duncan rolled his eyes at me. His face said that he honestly didn't feel like arguing with me much more.

"Would you just shut up and go along with this shit for once? God you talk too much."

He attempted to force me down again, but I wasn't having it.

"How do you feel about me?" I blurted out.

Duncan leaned back away from me with a confused expression.

"What?"

I swallowed. "You heard me."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly so obsessed with my feelings?"

"Because I'm fucking tired of being your goddamn rag doll!" I snapped glaringly. This little outburst instantly made him wince back in surprise. While I had him in this little state of shock...

"All you ever do is come running back to me whenever you and Courtney have an argument because you just can't handle not having someone to manipulate. So you just use me as your little 'fuck-doll' until you get bored with me and then toss me aside like some kind of toy!"

Duncan looked grossly unsatisfied with what I was telling him. Almost...angry? What for? It was the fucking truth and he knew it. If anyone had the right to be mad it was me.

Even with his disinterest I continued ranting.

"Are you too thick-skulled to understand that I'm a human being?! Not just some plaything you can abuse until you lose interest in it?!"

He scoffed. "I don't abuse you."

"Are you kidding me?! I have bruises on my arms from all the times you've grabbed me and slammed me against something!"

"You like that shit and you know it!" Duncan retaliated.

"How the hell would you know?!" I yelled. "You never asked me about anything! All you do is threaten me and expect me to be okay with everything!"

"For the love of God -"

"Oh I'm sorry, am I annoying you with my feelings?"

"If you don't-"

"If I don't what? Shut up and give in to you again you're gonna beat me up like you used to?"

We were in an awkward position now, literally. I was lying under him with my arms folded while staring heatedly into his menacing eyes. His jaw cocked slightly as he narrowed them at me.

"...You know what? Fine."

Duncan finally leaned back off me and I relaxed, but I was definitely still confused. He peeled himself from off his bed and sat over the side, leaning over to pick up his shirt from the floor. I sat up uneasily. Did he actually just listen to me for once?

I furrowed my brows. "Wait, what?"

He glanced over his shoulder at me before standing up.

"I said fine." He repeated, now beginning to pull his jeans on. "You wanna whine and bitch about this shit, then fine. I'll stop."

Was it really that easy? It couldn't be...There was no way he'd give up openly.

"So...you're really just walking away? Just...that's it? No forcing yourself on me?"

"Do you _want_ me to fuck you or something?" Duncan snapped, walking over towards his closet.

"Obviously not but-"

"Here."

My thought was cut off when I was hit in the face with towel chucked from across the room.

"Take a shower." He ordered, his back facing me.

I pulled the towel from my face. "Excuse me?"

Duncan looked back over his shoulder again. "Take a shower. You smell like sweat."

I was beyond confused before, but now I was completely in the dark. He was suddenly no longer interested in having his way with me, but now in my hygiene?

I guess that when he saw that I wasn't moving, he became slightly irritated. Duncan turned back around and walked back over, his arms folded across his chest as he did.

"Look I don't know how many times I have to say it, but go take_ a shower_. You stink."

"And you don't?" I asked.

"This is my house." He retorted. "I can smell like whatever I goddamn please. You on the other hand are funking up my bed with that sweat smell, so go take, a fucking shower."

Even though I was still thoroughly confused, I hesitantly got up from Duncan's black clad mattress and wrapped the towel he'd given me around my waist. I felt as if not listening to him and staying where I was wasn't worth the physical pain it'd put me through, so why not just take the stupid shower and leave before he could do something else to me. Hey, in this time, I might make it home just in time to miss my mother's round of undercooked curry chicken.

I felt him watching me as I walked from his bed and into the bathroom, probably to make sure I didn't try anything. It didn't really matter to me much anymore because I was slowly becoming more and more apathetic to this entire situation.

I shut the door behind me and breathed a small sigh of relief.

Huh. It didn't smell as bad as I'd first expected it to.

In fact...

It actually smelled...kind of pleasant.

I mean, sure it was kind of messy. Empty boxes of hair dye and hair gel lined his sink, but that was about as bad as things got.

Did I smell vanilla?

I canvassed the bathroom. There it was, right in the corner of the room, a little vanilla incense was lit by the shower. I cocked my head to the left. When had he even has time to light those? We'd came straight in and onto his bed.

Whatever. I wasn't going to give myself a headache trying to figure this crap out.

If there was one thing I absolutely hated, it was trying to decipher how other people's showers worked, because even with my level of intelligence I still had way too much trouble trying to accomplish such a minuscule task.

Somehow I managed to get it working, but not without five minutes of unnecessary struggling. I felt a little uncomfortable being naked in someone else's house besides mine...well I could've always pretend to take a shower and just sat here in his bathroom for ten minutes.

...But I actually did smell, so a shower couldn't actually hurt.

I probably lost some skin with how unexpectedly hot the water was. I preferred my showers soothingly warm rather than harmfully scalding. I was actually surprised I didn't fall.

After I relaxed, the water felt better and I managed to mildly enjoy this forced shower. I couldn't help but eye the surprising choice in bath products that Duncan had had on the sides of the tub. Vanilla Essence and Calm Waters washes...there was no way that either of those were intended for a guy to use.

I shook it off the thought and simply reached for the vanilla one. He was the one who made me sweaty in the first place, the least he could do was sacrifice some of his soap.

Good God that shit was potent. It's shocking that I've never smelled it on him before.

Did I have any idea what was going to happen after I got out of this shower? No. Did I really care at the moment?

...To be honest, I was kind of lost in the warm sensation and wonderful smell. So no, I guess I didn't.

A good amount of time passed before I realized that I'd been in lost in my own thoughts long enough for the water to begin to get cold. That was disappointing, I was planning on staying in here until Duncan forgot about me like he usually did.

When it reached the temperature where I couldn't bare the cold against my skin, I decided to get out. I hadn't noticed until I picked up the towel he'd given me again to dry off that it smelled a bit like him; must and wood from his carpentry class. A lovely combination, don't you think?

I flicked on the fan before leaving the bathroom, simply out of common courtesy. Thankfully Duncan wasn't in the room and I got to change back into my clothes in peace.

And where were they exactly?

My eyes narrowed and shifted from surface to surface around his room. My maroon t-shirt and blue hoodie were nowhere to be found, along with my shorts. Great...just...great.

Water was beginning to soak into the carpet beneath me and now I was getting irritated. No matter how many times my eyes canvassed the room I still couldn't find-

Oh?

There was something placed on his bed that hadn't been there before. I hesitantly walked over, drying off my hair as I did.

I picked up the mass of black fabric and unfolded it. I grimaced.

Really Duncan, really?

It was one of his t-shirts. Particularly the faded, jet black one with the skull on it that he always wore. The shirt itself looked a bit worn out, but still wearable to say the least.

I held it up to my shoulders, which made it fall just inches below my crotch. I raised an eyebrow. How dumb did he think I was? Did he really assumed that I'd just prance around his house in a worn-out t-shirt that barely covered what it needed to? Not a chance.

But, since my regular clothes were still nowhere to be found, I just sucked it up and pulled the shirt over my torso. It was better than walking around naked.

I managed to find one pair of just as worn out grey sweat pants in one of his drawers. Unfortunately, I had no idea if what I'd just put on was clean or not, and judging by the smell that came from that drawer, squeaky clean definitely wasn't it.

Where did he even go off to? I sort of knew my way around his house from memory, but things were still really hazy. That was the only time I'd admit that I needed his help. A_ little_.

I slung the towel around my shoulders and looked around one last time before starting down the hall. Apparently, either his room was extremely cold or the rest of his house extremely hot, because I felt an instant temperature change as soon as I stepped out. Or was that...oven heat? Some kind of appliance was being used; I could smell whatever was being cooked from upstairs.

I could've just gone back into his room and stayed there, and I have no idea what compelled me to continue down the stairs instead.

I was right, something was being cooked. From the bottom of the stairs, I could see Duncan's looming figure standing by the stove, his back facing me. A whole barrage of spices were spread out on the counters around him. Apparently he was using them right, because whatever he was cooking smelled admittedly delicious.

"Where are my clothes?" I asked plainly, folding my arms across my chest.

Duncan didn't even turn around to respond.

"I washed them." He replied, picking up a spice from the counter. "They smelled like shit."

I raised an eyebrow. Alright then.

"You saw the shirt right? The one I left out for you?"

"Maybe if you'd turn around you'd know." I responded.

Reluctantly, he put the spice in his hand down and turned fully to face me. A small smirked formed on his face as his eyes ran up and down my figure.

"So you went digging through my stuff to find those?" He chuckled. "What's a matter? Afraid to show some skin around me?"

I lowered my brows. "Well seeing as how we were just basically naked in your bed I highly doubt it."

His smirk only widened at my remark. He picked up a large spoon from the counter before turning back around.

"Those aren't clean, by the way." Duncan let out nonchalantly, stirring whatever was in front of him.

"Well neither is your room, so."

"Keep talkin' shit like that and you're not gonna get any of this." He sang mockingly, purposefully wafting into the pot as I walked by.

"Do I really want any?" I attempted to fake a disgusted expression even though what he was cooking actually smelled pretty good.

"Depends." He said. "You done being a smartass?"

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips. Was he done being an incompetent asshole?

Duncan grinned. "That's what I thought."

He loomed away from the pot in front of him only to kneel down beside a lower cabinet and pull out various dishes. I winced at the disorganization of it.

I had to admit...this was was nice...but at the same time...

It was weird.

Duncan had never been this cordial with me, this...pleasant. I wasn't being shoved against something, or threatened into some degrading task, or humiliated by his condescending sense of humor. I was just talking to him, casually, and normally. Had something I'd said earlier actually gotten through to him?

_No..._

He walked back over to me with two dishes in his hand, one for me and one for him I assume.

"Help yourself." Duncan handed me the glass bowl and gestured over to the pot on the stove.

Well...I might as well. The last thing I'd had to eat _had_ been a pop tart from that morning.

"Thanks..." I hesitantly took the bowl from his hand as he went back over to the stove. What he was cooking was soup apparently.

"So..." I absentmindedly started, attempting not to have an awkward silence settle in. "You didn't necessarily strike me as a 'vanilla essence' type of guy."

Duncan looked at me strangely before his face immediately relaxed. He must've realized what I was referring to.

"Oh, wait, you mean all that body wash and shit upstairs? You think that's mine?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I mean, as far as I know you don't have any sisters, so..."

Duncan grinned. "Dude that's Courtney's crap, not mine." He snickered. "Did you really think that I would walk around smelling like a fucking bakery?"

I guess I really should've seen that coming.

Duncan continued snickering as he walked closer towards me, bowl in hand. He stopped however right before he passed me, then leaned in closer.

"What are you doing?" I asked, leaning away from him

He gripped my shoulder and yanked me back. "You used it, didn't you? I can smell it on you!"

I tried to pull back with no success. "I thought it was yours!"

He burst out laughing at me, finally letting go of my shoulder. I straightened myself back out and glared at him. So what? I used it. So fucking what?

I lowered my brows as he continued cackling. "Are you done yet?"

Duncan held up one finger before stopping soon after, breathing heavily as he did. "You smell like a goddamn chick!" He stated, wafting mockingly towards me. "Gotta admit though, it smells better on you than it ever did on her."

I furrowed my brows. "Don't you think your girlfriend would be a little upset about someone else using her things?"

Duncan shrugged. "Maybe, if she was my girlfriend anymore."

I hoped the confused expression on my face told him I didn't understand.

"We broke up." He clarified.

My expression instantly changed. "O-oh-seriously? When?"

He nodded calmly, not at all unnerved by this statement. He nonchalantly brought his spoon to his mouth.

"Last week." He answered. "Things were getting shitty between us either way. It was gonna happen eventually."

I knew that already. Honestly I was a bit taken back at the sudden end of their relationship. I'd even started calculating roughly when they would break things off, and this was much since than I'd predicted.

"Well I guess things happen for a reason right?" I awkwardly comforted.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Don't get all philosophical on me Noah."

"Oooh." I teased. "'Philosophical'? Someone's been brushing up on their big boy vocabulary."

He scowled dryly at me as I snickered, obviously not in the mindset to make a comeback. I kept laughing until I can't to a sudden realization, then stopped immediately.

"...Did you just call me 'Noah'?"

He looked up from his bowl. "That is your name, isn't it?"

"I wasn't even sure if you knew it seeing as how all you've ever called me for the past four years is 'nerd'."

He smirked. "It's a pet name."

"Do I look like a dog to you?"

All Duncan did in response to that was approach me and ruffle my damp hair, like the owner of a pet.

"More like a puppy." He corrected. "An annoying, whiney, smartass little puppy."

I wanted to let out a snarky remark like I usually would, but something inside me just wouldn't let me. There was just something about his...vibe. That comment wasn't meant to be mocking at all...more just...playful?

Why he was all of a sudden being so nice to me I had no idea, but I might as well have enjoyed while it lasted.

"Are you gonna eat or not?" Duncan asked me intently, looking at my still empty bowl.

I didn't respond, I just hesitantly went over to the pot on the stove and peered into it's contents.

"Did you...cook this yourself?" I asked, lightly stirring the spoon.

"Eh, kind of." Duncan answered. "It was my mom's shitty recipe that she made last night. I sort of just reheated it and you know, fixed it. So it didn't taste like shit anymore."

Innovative. Not something I'd expect out of him, but innovative. Now that I think about it he probably did have to learn to solve his own problems a lot. From what I know both his parents work a lot and one out of his two brothers is incarcerated, so that more than likely left him to his own devices the majority of the time.

I took the ladle in my hand and calmly raised some soup into my bowl; I could literally feel his eyes on me as I did. What, was he checking to make sure I had the correct soup-serving form?

"So when can I go home?" I asked bluntly. I had no intention of letting that slip so obviously, but as I turned back to him with a full bowl it just had tumbled out of my mouth.

Duncan scoffed. "Are you really in that much of a rush?" He asked. "I mean from what you've told me you're family's pretty big and annoying."

"It is..." I confirmed, bringing a spoon to my mouth. Honestly I was kind of surprised that he even remembered me saying that or that he even listened to me in the first place. "But you know, I'm kind of missing the comfort of my own, non-musty smelling bed."

"Oh come on, you love how I smell Noah, admit it." Duncan jeered.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yea, totally. 'Essence of Sawdust' is such a turn on."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he put his bowl down momentarily. He extended his arms out wide while walking towards me, grinning mischievously. I cringed as he approached, huddling up against the counter as far as I could.

He stunk.

And he was attempting to hug me.

"D-Uncan no!" I urged as he got closer. "I said no-Duncan! Get the hell away from me-AUGH!"

He brought me into his embrace, his sweaty, musty embrace, making sure to press my face purposefully into his dirtily clothed chest.

This was disgusting. He smelled disgusting.

"Dungyn." I muffled into his chest, struggling underneath him. He still didn't let go, he only tightened his grip around me and rested his chin right beside my face.

The odd thing was, after a few seconds of me squirming in his grasp, his embrace stopped feeling quite as...mocking, should I say? And strangely...it became slowly more and more...

Affectionate.

For some reason, my body relaxed.

He was admittedly warm...

and soft...

Gradually, one of Duncan's hands went from clutched around my back to lightly graze through my hair. He breathed into my neck, I swear I felt him tighten against me again.

"...Duncan?"

That was the clearest I could talk before he suddenly released his grip, taking his hand from my hair and letting go of me. He instantly began to look a bit unnerved, looking unsurely around the room and eventually turning his back to me.

I was confused, really confused actually. And now he just wasn't saying anything to explain what had just taken place.

He mumbled something. Something so low it was barely audible, but I just caught the tail end of his sentence.

"What was that?" I asked.

All he did was mumble again at a barely louder volume, and now I was slightly annoyed.

"Duncan speak up for God's sakes-"

"I like you, okay?"

That was what I thought he'd said, and I couldn't believe I was actually right.

My brows raised. "Excuse me?"

Duncan sighed irritably and turned back around to face me fully. "I said 'I like you', okay? Are you happy? Isn't that what you wanted to hear?"

Yeah, it was, but...

"_You do_?" I asked again, just to make sure he wasn't fucking with me.

That seemed to annoy him a little, but he still came closer to me yet again, this time peering directly into my eyes.

"Look, Noah. In case you haven't noticed, I'm really not the type of dude who's all that great with getting his..._feelings_ out...and other shit like that." Duncan told me. "You wanted me to tell you how I felt about you so there, I did."

I raised an eyebrow. "And how long exactly have you felt this way about me?"

He groaned, but replied. "A-a while, alright? You done with the third degree yet?"

"How long _specifically_?"

"I don't know! Like a year or two?!"

Woah.

My eyes widened. That was definitely not the answer I expected. I thought maybe three months since this shit started, but not _years_. He seemed to blurt that out louder than he'd wanted to, and he swallowed hard after saying it.

"...Tenth grade." Duncan let out lowly. "The beginning of tenth grade was when I started..._like_ liking you."

Was he serious? And he waited this long to make a move?

"So...you've had a crush on me for two years, within which you've dated several other girls including Courtney, and you decided to show it by being a complete and utter asshole to me and making my high school life a living hell?"

"I already told you that I'm not great with conveying how I feel." Duncan grumbled. "Besides, you're a little smartass so wasn't sure how you'd even react-"

"Wait, so you were afraid to make a move? Is that what I'm hearing?" I asked shockingly. "Oh wait, I get it. _That's_ why you were such a jackass to me. Because you didn't know any other way to get my attention besides threatening me on a daily basis."

Duncan rolled his eyes. "When you say it like that I-"

"But I'm right though, aren't I?"

Reluctantly, he shut up. I guess I was right. I should've have snickered, but I did.

That must have pushed him over the edge, because I wasn't exactly prepared for what he did next though. Duncan reached forward and violently yanked me towards him, instantly clasping both his hands onto my face and crashing his mouth onto mine.

I jolted out of surprise, but then loosened as I realized this wasn't one of his regularly aggressive mouth assaults.

It was just...a regular kiss. Like the kind a guy would give to his girlfriend at the end of a date. There was no lust-fueled undertone to it, no biting my lips until they bled...

Just a little tongue, and then it was over.

He pulled away from me slowly, looking me dead in the eye as he did. My facial expression had to be dumbfounded because that kiss was just so different.

"I really like you, okay? Do you get that?" Duncan asked me intently. "A lot. And don't get all smart-alecky on me because I do, alright? Just know that I really, _really_ like you."

I had to search for a response in my mind, but eventually I found something.

"I'm just surprised that you can kiss me and not have me pinned against something in the process." I replied, folding my arms.

Duncan's expression became unimpressed, and he brought his hand to his forehead. "Do you like me back or not Noah? Cause I'm gonna feel like a real fucking idiot if I just did all that shit for noth-"

"Yes."

His eyes darted up. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." I reassured. "Just, this non-asshole-ish side of you more. It's nice to not feel threatened all the time. And...ugh...admittedly you're not that bad of cook, so I guess that's a plus."

The widest grin formed on his face when I said that. Great, his ego was showing.

"But-" I held up my hand. "If we even might have a possibility of I don't know, being something, I'm not you're rag doll anymore, got it? You better not toss me aside again."

"Yeah, yeah, sure whatever." Duncan said while rolling his eyes. His arm snaked its way around my shoulder and he began ushering me out of the kitchen.

"And where are we going exactly?" I asked unsurely as he guided me down the hall.

"To get your clothes." He answered. "You want them back so you can leave, right?"

We came to a stop at the door at the end of the hall, and he gradually reached out to turn the knob. Something inside me made stick my arm out towards the door and force it shut again. Duncan looked back at me, confused.

"I-um-" I cleared my throat. "I really don't have to go _just_ yet. Besides, I'm pretty sure my parents won't care if I'm not home for a while."

Duncan gave me a small smile at this, then let go of the knob. "Good to hear, nerd. You warming up to me enough to spend the night? It's Friday."

"I didn't say all that."

He scoffed and put his arm back around my shoulder. "Yeah, whatever."

I did end up staying the night at his place, and I might or might not have fallen asleep next to him on the his couch while watching a terribly long movie. And he might or might not have pulled me into his arms so I could lay on his chest.

I can say though that I definitely did end up getting yelled at by my mother the next morning for not coming home the night before.

I guess it was worth. After all the years I was finally free from jackass Duncan.

Hopefully.

* * *

**oh my god I'm so relieved that I finally got this done but good god it took too long. **

**Sooo, as usual, tell me what you think. Did you like it? No? Yes? Maybe? Go on, I'm listening.**

**~DUECES**


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